Last week I made a long-promised trip to see a friend…Roxy and Sophia were in town…and did we partay…Oh Yes! But we also took in some culture…Delicious food and some new food which I hadn’t seen or tasted before…The welcome I was given was second to none  I will be back…Thank you, everyone …

It is definitely a mixture of cultures here…The floating market specifically built to attract tourists and the cultural Chinese Temple Anek Kusala Sala which houses many original pieces of Chinese art and artefacts donated to Thailand by the Chinese Government.

Pattaya Floating Market is said to be one of the biggest in Thailand with over 100 shops with painted footprints to follow on the boardwalks which ensure that you don’t miss anything…There were also little bridges crossing the canal system everything to make your trip pleasant. You can also take a boat for a small cost…

Although purpose-built and without the charm of the true floating markets it was pleasant to walk and wander around… the stallholders were all pleasant and smiling  I was also able to barter a little… the prices not as high as I initially thought they would be…I got some bargains…

 

 

A lovely dress for me…at last I am able to purchase clothes off the peg here without being told we don’t have madams size…haha…Some pretty little flip flops for Lily depicting the elephants she loves…Chilli crisps…Ped mak, mak…bloody hot…Kanom Krok little savoury snacks with octopus…my friend purchased some lovely Thai silk pashminas and some t/shirts…

There are also free cultural shows and dancing. During the week there is only one show in the late afternoon. But, at the weekend there are fours shows in the afternoon and evening.

A popular event in Southern Thailand. The floating market is just south of Pattaya on Sukhumwit Road and 10 minutes from Bang Saray… It is open daily from 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. If you are planning a trip to Pattaya then I think you will enjoy a visit to this floating market.

Ladies who lunch and we did…

 

A beautiful, peaceful quirky little hotel/guest house right on the beach…For me, the only let down was the food…cold rice doesn’t do it for me…Maybe we were just unlucky…

Located along the sea in Bang Saray( Sare), The Boat House Bang Saray is a peaceful self-catering unit with an on-site restaurant and free public WiFi. The private unit provides a living area, a sofa and air conditioning. There is also a kitchen with a stovetop and a private bathroom with a shower. At The Boat House Bang Saray, you will find a shared lounge and bicycle rentals. There is free parking nearby. This holiday home is 15 km from Utapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport. The Cartoon Network Amazone and Silverlake Vineyard are a short drive away.

The Viharnra Sien Chinese temple in Pattaya is one of Thailand’s most important centres of Chinese culture and works of art.  It is home to one of the greatest collections of Chinese art and antiquities outside of China itself.

Thailand and China have a historically long relationship.  There is a large Thai-Chinese population in Thailand today that can trace their roots back to ancestors who emigrated from China.  They brought with them aspects of their culture, food,

religion, and art.  The Viharnra Sien temple pays homage to this long-standing relationship.

There are many statues and artworks depicting different eras…Statues from the Terracotta army all beautifully carved. The gardens which surround the temple are also very pretty…

From the temple, we travelled to Buddha Mountain which is in close vicinity to the temple…

Buddha Mountain

One of the largest Buddha images in the world.

One of Pattaya’s most impressive landmarks is the 130 meters high Buddha Mountain. A huge golden Buddha image is depicted on the mountain, which is also called Khao Cheejan and can be seen from miles away.

The Buddha image that is officially called Phra Phuttha Maha Wachira Uttamopat Satsada was created in 1996 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession the the throne.

During the Vietnam War, the Thai Army used Khao Cheejan mountain for its mining efforts. The stones were used at U-Tapao airport, which was at the time an American army base. After the war mining continued for construction purposes until 1976.

Standing some 130 Meter tall the Buddha image is carved out of the rock.

The Buddha image was carved out of the rock using laser technology. After that, it was inlaid with gold leaf, a process that took months to complete. The impressive Sukhothai era Buddha image is 130 meters high and 70 meters wide, making it one of the biggest Buddha images in the world.

Buddha Mountain, which is also called Khao Cheejan or Khao Chee Chan, is set in beautifully landscaped gardens. There are a number of salas (open pavilions) and pools filled with lotus flowers giving the place a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere it is very pretty with a peaceful air…

That’s all from my little trip to Pattaya…I hope you enjoyed the tour …I will leave you with the sunset…xxx Where Sophia and Roxy were enjoying a sundowner or three xxx

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there will be more on this on my blog this year

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

More and more of my blogging friends have joined me on MeWe…A social media site which is fairly new and which promises much without the restrictions some other social media sites are choosing to impose on many of us…Join me if you will on  mewe.com/i/caroltaylor3 

 

Carol is a contributor to the Phuket Island Writers Anthology: 

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Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great week xx